Overdone premise made interesting again.

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2004)

28 DAYS LATER is the story of a terrible virus that surfaces from infected chimps and then spreads to the humans in no time flat. Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up one morning to find himself in a hospital bed, with no idea how he got there. He then finds that there is no one else in the hospital, and goes outside to find the streets of London literally empty. Naturally he is very worried about this, and soon wanders away and is saved from infection by Mark and Selena (Noah Huntley and Naomie Harris). These three team up and begin to go in search of a safe area, later meeting up with Hannah and her father Frank (Megan Burns and Brendan Gleeson). The troop gets lead of a military camp nearby, and set off to find some trace of what's left of civilization.
28 DAYS LATER is a smart, well-done horror flick. Though the whole infected/zombie premise is pretty overdone, this movie makes it interesting again. The "infected," as they are referred to, are genuinely creepy, and the sight of the completely empty streets of London in the beginning is chilling. The film creates a tense atmosphere and rarely breaks it, which is a good thing. You can feel the characters' struggle to stay alive and well and can sympathize easily at their fright.
Technically, this movie is very impressive. Good acting all around from virtual unknowns, and good direction. The scenery and cinematography are absolutely breathtaking in parts, adding an ironic sense of beauty to an otherwise depleted world. The screenplay is well-written, with few cliches and little corny moments. Everything looks good.
Overall, 28 DAYS LATER takes an overdone premise and instead turns it into a good movie. You get that genuine horror film feeling while still managing to have a good time. A smart little movie. 8/10.